Karim Benzema

Karim Mostafa Benzema, commonly known as Karim Benzema is a French Professional footballer who plays as a striker for the La Liga club Real Madrid and also serves as the captain of the France National team. There is no doubt that Benzema is counted as one of the best strikers in the world of all time and also named as Real Madrid’s all time second highest scorer. He is also known for providing the best assists. The 35 years old French footballer has 23 trophies to his name with Real Madrid only. They include two Copa del Rey, four La Liga and five UEFA Champions League titles. Well, the list of Benzema’s accomplishments is much longer than you might think. 

Beginning his career with his hometown club Olympique Lyonnais in 2005, the French footballer won the title of League’s Player of the Year and became the league’s top goalscorer. He has also won the Coupe de France. In 2009, Karim Benzema was transferred to Real Madrid in 2009 after signing a deal with the club for €35 million. The footballer had invested 27 years of his life to build a successful football career and reach this position. He began playing football at the age of eight and went on practicing and became a successful Professional footballer. His football journey and personal life are interrelated, so let’s have a detailed analysis of his story.

Early Years

The Real Madrid top goalscorer, Karim Benzema was born on December 19, 1987 in Lyon, France. He was born to his mother Wahida Djebbara and father Hafid Benzema as the sixth child of the family. With Sagittarius zodiac sign, Karim Benzema was born into a family of 11 people in total including eight of his other siblings and two parents which means that he has five older and three younger siblings. The French footballer is the descendent of a family which actually belongs to Algeria because his ancestors immigrated to the neighborhood of Bron. Karim’s story is no less than a motivational and inspirational drama series as it is full of childhood, career and growing up struggles. A lot of people out there worship him as their idol due to his struggling journey of becoming a successful Professional footballer. 

It is known that Benzema began following dangerous gangs in his early age which resulted in his attraction to crime as a kid but his father’s discipline was totally contrasting to his changed behaviour. His father was a disciplinarian and his discipline was the absolute thing which brought Karim on line again. He implied a lot of limitations to his son like stopping him from playing into close but troubled neighbourhoods. Socially, it was also difficult for an immigrant family to settle in one of Lyon’s most troubled neighbourhoods such as the Bron. 

Karim’s father got him admitted in a Catholic school where he had to face a lot of problems such as interacting with other children, building a social life because he was an Algerian and he felt it discriminating somewhere. During his childhood he was weighed with over pressure which obviously troubled him. He used to get bullied in school for being an overweight child. But gradually, Karim got to experience a lot of changes in himself and became more known in their neighborhood. He also focused on taking a healthy diet to lose weight and maintain an ideal body weight. 

Karim’s football career also began at a very young age. He started playing football when he was only eight with a local club of Bron Terraillon. His playing skills and performances attracted attention of Lyon club officials especially when he scored two goals at an U-10 match against the Lyon Youth Academy. Since then, he has been emphasizing on improving his performances and now he has become one of the greatest strikers in the world. 

Karim Benzema Family

Karim is not the only child of his parents but came on the earth as the sixth child of the family. He was born to his father Hafid Benzema and mother Wahida Djebbara. He has a total of eight siblings out of which five are older while three are younger. His siblings are Gressy, Sabri, Nafissa, Sofia, Farid, Lydia, Celia and Laeticia. Karim’s brothers Gressy and Sabri are also footballers just like him.

Gressy Benzema

Born on November 30, 1992 Gressy Benzema is one of the three younger brothers of the famous French footballer Karim Benzema. He is five years younger than the Real Madrid striker but looks like Karim’s twin brother. Gressy holds two nationalities including Algeria and France as his parents migrated from one place to another. Talking about Gressy’s career, he is also a football player who plays in a lower league in France. Karim’s elder brothers chose different professions but his younger siblings followed him. Karim also turned out to be a guide to Gressy when it came to making a career in football. 

Sabri Benzema

Just like his older brother Karim and Gressy, Sabri Benzema is also a professional Footballer who has played Semi-professionally in one of his city based teams but he ended up leaving football. The people who saw him playing observed that he and Karim had a lot of things in common and he could have gone far in his professional career. 

Nafissa Benzema

Out of Karim’s eight siblings, one is his sister Nafissa Benzema who was also born in Lyon, France. She was born to the same parents as Karim. According to the sources, her father Hafid Benzema was originally born in Tigzirt and her mother was a pure resident of Lyon France. 

Karim Benzema’s Wife

One of the most interesting questions about the best players that has been circulating for generations is if the player is married or not. Every crazy fan of his wants to know his marital status as he looks so handsome and anyone would have said yes to marry him. Known for his aerial ability, Benzema has quite a rich history of women. But the permanent one is Cora Gauthier who became his wife in December 2016. So yes, the French Professional footballer was married and absolutely happy with his personal life but not anymore. The couple met for the first time in Dubai, UAE in December 2015 and got married the next year. 

Meet Cora Gauthier, Karim Benzema ex-Wife

Cora Gauthier gained a lot of popularity after marrying the Real Madrid superstar, Karim Benzema but she already had an identity of her own as well. Born on April 11, 1989 in France, the 33 years old Cora is a model and works with different major clothing and footwear brands. The French model has a prestigious presence on social media as well. Other than being a model, she is also a social media influencer on Instagram with a fan following of over 83,000. Later in 2016, she achieved recognition and fame after getting married to the world-wide famous Footballer. 

Though she has the fame of being a football celebrity’s wife, she prefers to keep her profile low-key and personal life private. She is clearly not one of those people who like to give every minute live update of their personal life on social media. 

Cora Gauthier grew up along with her sister Sary Gauthier. Her family has its origin in Martinique although her birthplace is France and she also possesses the nationality of France. 

The couple is not together anymore. They have parted their ways but they have their son named Ibrahim between them so they maintain very good and friendly relations with each other. The couple got divorced this year and Benzema has found his new lover who is the same age as Cora. Benzema is now in a relationship with an American Model Jordan Ozuna. 

Karim and Cora’s Love Story

It’s been years since the couple got married and now they are divorced. The French couple first met each other in Dubai, UAE in December 2015. Cora’s zodiac sign is Aries while Karim’s is Sagittarius and it’s said that if Aries and Sagittarius come together to forge a relationship, they can make the best match (made in heaven) ever. These partners have a lot in common such as interest and energies. They are highly compatible and perfectly made for each other. They both consist of an enthusiasm, curiosity, urge to explore and do some new adventure. It is believed that Aries and Sagittarius make good friends as well as good relationships. All of this can completely be applied to the case of Karim and Cora. 

As soon as Cora (Aries) and Karim (Sagittarius) met each other in December, 2015 they fell in love with each other immediately. The couple began dating each other and found themselves the fit for each other. They kept dating for about a year and then decided to get married and grow old with each other. They tied the knot in December 2016 becoming an official couple and soulmates. 

Though Karim Benzema has become one of the most popular Real Madrid stars in the world, he doesn’t like to show himself up on tv or stay in front of the camera fully exposing their personal life. He is a very private person who prefers to keep his private life a secret away from social media and the public eye. Despite being a model by profession, his wife Cora Gauthier also likes to keep her profile low-key. 

One of the most circulated statements of Karim Benzema about his personal life reads “It’s our private thing. I have always been like this. I don’t like to be in the spotlight, on the TV, it’s stupid for me. I have my life with my family and friends. And it’s also better and easier for them. Just imagine it, you are 4 years old and you live your life with the camera behind you. You can lose your mind.” 

Current Relationship

After taking divorce from his ex-wife Cora Gauthier, Benzema has found another love of his life. Currently, he is in a relationship with a 32 years old American Model Jordan Ozuna. They both are dating each other. It is believed that Benzema had an affair with the American Model when he was married and this is why he divorced Cora. After the player was exhausted from hiding their relationship from everyone, he decided to announce it publicly. On August 3, Jordan posted many pictures and videos of them in Series on her social media. In the first picture they were gently hugging each other and in the second photo they were on video call. 

Who is Jordan Ozuna?

Jordan Ozuna is a very popular American Model who was born in 1990 and currently she is 32 years old. Before becoming a model, she used to work as a waitress at the Hooters Restaurant Chain. The famous influencer is rumoured to have dated the popular American singer Justin Bieber in 2013 and Puff Daddy in 2020. 

Who has Benzema Dated? 

The Real Madrid star Benzema has a long list of women who he has dated in his past. He has been in a relationship with Zahia Dehar, Jenifer Bartoli, Analicia and many more. The French footballer has quite a rich history of women. Let’s have a look at the detailed description of his past girlfriends. 

Zahia Dehar

Zahia Dehar was born on February 25, 1992 in Ghriss, Algeria from where Karim’s family migrated to France. She is currently a fashion designer, actress and model and earns a lot of money through these activities. She used to make money by prostitution from the age of 16. She was paid for sex by many footballers including Karim Benzema and Franck Ribery. At that time, prostitution was a legal practice in France but only if the worker was over the age of 18 while in 2009, she was just 17. According to Zahia Dehar, she met the French footballer for the first time in May 2008 on the sidelines of the Trophees UNFP du football. This illegal prostitution case came into light during an investigation and then Zahia’s relationship with Karim came out in the public. 

Jenifer Bartoli

Born on November 15, 1982, Jenifer Bartoli is a French singer and actress who is popularly known as Jenifer. Her full name is Jenifer Yael Juliette Dadouche Bartoli. She seems to have hooked up with the captain of French National football team, Benzema in 2012. Jenifer is 5 years older than him and is known for Star Academy. Her zodiac sign is Scorpio. 

Whitney Toyloy

Whitney Toyloy was born on July 21, 1990 in Yverdon-les-Bains, Vaud, Switzerland. She has been the winner of the title Miss Switzerland 2008 at the age of 17 only. Her family’s origin was in Africa and she is descended from a family of African origin. She was the first woman of African origin to become Miss Switzerland. Her zodiac sign is Cancer. The Real Madrid footballer is believed to have dated Whitney Toyloy at some point of time in his past. The exact date or year of dating is yet unknown but it is confirmed that Benzema had been in a relationship with the former Miss Switzerland. 

Rihanna

The widely famous Footballer has also dated the American singer Rihanna in his past. He met Rihanna in a nightclub in 2015 and then onwards they were spotted together several times. Some rumours about their relationship said that they were dating each other before they broke up in 2017. Everyone is aware of Rihanna’s good friendships with Footballers but the rumours came out to be true. And the reason behind their breakup is believed to be Rihanna’s love for Chris Brown. She told him that she didn’t want to break his heart as she was always gonna love Chris Brown and there is no possibility of competition. 

Analicia Chaves 

Analicia Chaves came into a relationship with the French National football team captain in June 2015 and at that time she was 25 years old. The couple used to post their pictures together, kissing and hugging clips on social media. Though Benzema appeared to be proud of his new relationship with Analicia, their relationship didn’t last long. It was over by the course of a few months as in December 2015, Benzema found a new love for himself, Cora Gauthier whom he married the following year. 

Benzema’s Children

You must be aware of the fact that Benzema had a son with his ex-wife Cora Gauthier, Ibrahim. But do you know that he also has a daughter? Yes, it is true. The Real Madrid player is a proud father to  two children – daughter, Melia Benzema and son, Ibrahim Benzema. Remember, Melia Benzema is his eldest child. The French footballer is expecting a third child with his current girlfriend Jordan Ozuna.

Melia Benzema

Melia Benzema is the first child of Real Madrid striker. She was born on February 3, 2014 to her mother, Chloe de Launay and father, Karim Benzema. She is now eight years old and her zodiac sign is Aquarius. Though her parents separated their ways, they maintain a healthy and friendly relationship due to their child. The footballer took Melia to the 2018 Champions League Final in Kiev. 

Ibrahim Benzema

Ibrahim Benzema is the second child (son) of Karim Benzema. He shares the little boy with his ex-wife Cora Gauthier. Ibrahim is the reason they maintain good and friendly relations with each other. He was born on May 25, 2017 and is currently five years old. His zodiac sign is Gemini. The Soccer star often shares photos with his son on social media. 

Football Career

Just like dating history, Karim’s football history is also quite rich. During his career of 27 years, he has worked with clubs like Lyon, Lyon B, Real Madrid, France U17, France U18, and more. When he was young, he used to consider Ronaldo his idol and the Portuguese Legend had a big influence on him. Karim watched his videos and tried to copy him. 

Beginning of the Career

Benzema was really young when he started playing football. He began his football career with the local French Club Bron Terraillon SC at the age of eight only. At the club he was named Coco by his friends after he scored two goals against Lyon Youth Academy. Observing his potential, Lyon officials visited him making an attempt to sign him according to Serge Santa Cruz, President of Bron Terraillon at that time. They had a talk with the youngster’s Father and persuaded him to allow the player to go under a trial with Lyon. Consequently, Karim ended up signing a contract with Lyon and became a part of the club’s academy. 

He played from 1997 to 2005 for the club as a youth player while making his debut for the senior team of Lyon B where he made 20 appearances and 15 goals. He made his senior debut for France National team in 2007 at the age of 19. He won the 2004 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. 

Lyon

At Lyon, Benzema started playing with the youth team and was eventually called up to join the senior team of the club by the manager Paul Le Guen. The player was so confident and courageous that after getting subjected to jokes and laughter he announced that “Do not laugh, I’m here to take your place”. 

The French footballer made his professional football debut with Lyon in a match against Metz on January 15, 2005. He signed his first official contract with Lyon which was a three years deal. On December 6, 2005, he made his UEFA Champions League debut for Lyon in the final group stage match against Norwegian club Rosenberg. On November 10, 2006, Benzema suffered a serious thigh injury which resulted in a three months break from football. He returned to the field in February 2007. 

Real Madrid

On July 1, 2009, the La Liga club Real Madrid made an announcement that Lyon has agreed to sign an agreement with them for the transfer of great Striker Karim Benzema. The transfer fee was valued at €35 million which was soon raised to €41 million based on incentives. On July 9, Benzema finally passed his medical and signed a six years contract with Real Madrid. He made his official debut for the Spanish club on July 20 in the club’s pre-season friendly match against Shamrock Rovers in Dublin. 

Karim made his league debut for the club on August 29, 2009 against Deportivo La Coruna. He made his Champions League debut for Real Madrid on September 30 in a group tie match against Marseille. 

An interesting fact about the Madrid player is that even after spending years with the Spanish club, he has not even begun learning Spanish. He was also compared to or to be exact was declared the ‘New Anelka’ by the Spanish newspaper Marca Blogger. He was compared to Anelka because he also had a tumultuous time at the club before being sold. But Zinedine Zidane came up to defend him saying “after two months I was also criticised and Benzema was a talented player and talented players in Madrid must win”. 

Karim Benzema Net Worth

The 35-year- old footballer enjoys a big amount of income every year. He is one of those best strikers of Real Madrid who won a Real Madrid Jersey ever. Benzema’s Net Worth is estimated to be 70 million dollars. He is paid a salary of over $3,00,000 per month for playing the most watched and popular football. His annual salary goes up to more than $4 million. Karim Benzema is also the owner of a luxury and exclusive house in France. The real value of his property investments is estimated to be around $2.7 million. 

He spends a quite large share of his income in the most expensive and luxurious cars. Though his car collection is average , it costs 3 Million USD which is more than the net worth of many big personalities. His car collection includes the cars of major brands like Mercedes Benz, Bugatti, Range Rover and Ferrari. He also shows a deep interest in investing his money. His total estimated personal investment is valued at 21 Million USD.